There is nothing worse in the winter than trying to ride your bike on compacted snow and ice. Your wheels slip about everywhere and you find yourself having to slow down just to make sure you don’t fall off.
How do you fix this? With studded tires of course.
Not sure what studded tires are? Well in this guide I will cover what they are, why you need them and just how many studs you should have in each tire.
If you are in a hurry and just need to know how many studs should be in a fat bike tire, the number of studs ranges somewhere between 150 to 300 studs.
Read on to learn more about fat bike tires and studded tires.
What Are Studded Fat Bike Tires?
Studded fat bike tires are just like normal bike tires, but with special metal studs added to the beads to increase the amount of grip you get in winter conditions.
Since the surfaces you will be riding on are less likely to have been cleared of snow and ice, unlike the roads that cars will drive on, snow and ice can be more of a problem for cyclists. Unlike car drivers, cyclists can’t use their gears to slow down and lose traction easily. Studded bike tires make winter biking more manageable.
Do I Really Need Studded Tyres For Riding In The Winter?
Studded tires are a great choice for riding in the winter as they improve grip on icy or snowy surfaces by penetrating the ice and providing a more predictable contact with the surface you are riding on.
That doesn’t mean you should go out and get some studded tires and put them on your fat bike now. You need to think about how often you are likely to be riding on an icy surface before investing, otherwise, you might end up with an expensive set of bike accessories that will just sit in your garage, never to be used.
Can I Use Studded Tires In The Summer Months?
If you are an all-year-round fat bike enthusiast, you are likely to be using your fat bike in all weathers, which means using them when the riding surface isn’t covered in ice.
If you are looking to put studded tires on your bike, this means that you will have to swap your tires when the winter months to tires without studs. The reason for this is that riding the studded tires on the road or pavement without ice will wear away the studs in the tire and therefore make them less effective when you come to use them next in the winter months.
So if you are just going to be using your fat bike in the winter, you can just leave your studded tires on. If you will be using your bike in the summer months as well you will need to be comfortable with changing your tires.
How Many Studs Per Fat Bike Tyre?
When buying studded fat bike tires, there can be quite a lot of variation in the number of studs in the tire.
In general, there will be somewhere between 150 and 300 studs in each tire, depending on the tire you purchase.
The key to deciding how many studs is the right amount comes down to personal preference, as you will be looking to strike a balance between the weight of the studs and the extra grip you will get with each stud.
If you’re not so concerned about your bike being heavier and would really prefer to have the extra grip in icy conditions, then go for a tire with more studs.
However, if weight is a big concern of yours and you’re just after a little extra grip on compacted snow and ice, then choose a tire with fewer studs in.
Can I Make My Own Studded Fat Bike Tires?
If you’re the sort of person who prefers the DIY approach, you could make your own studded tires. This not only has the potential for saving you money, but also gives you control over the sort of tire you use and, if you are unable to find any tires that fit your bike, it might be the only option.
One word of warning before going down this route, it can be a bit fiddly to do and you will need to be careful where you put the studs to avoid causing damage to your inner tube.
To do this, you will need to get some studs, like these Aeromdale Stud Screws from Amazon.
- Find the tires that you will be adding the studs to and make sure they are off your wheel
- At even intervals, screw the studs into the beads of the tire at even intervals. These should be added down the middle of the tire to get the most grip on ice
- Put you tires back on your fat bike and get riding on the ice.
Summary
So now you know, most fat bike tires will have somewhere between 150-300 studs in them and the more that you have in your tire the more grip you will get. Of course, the compromise is that the tire will weigh more.
How many studs you have in your fat bike tire will of course depend on your preferences, so if you want ultimate control over this, you can go the DIY route!
If you liked this guide, please share it on Pinterest. Also, please check out our other guides to all things outdoors.
Happy cycling!
